Anti-Japanese War: I have unlimited assistance

Chapter 297 Is there still such an operation?

After all the equipment arrived, Li Yunlong ordered the guns and ammunition to be distributed to the soldiers quickly.

After half a month of training and tactical summary, the combat effectiveness of the three regiments of the Eighth Route Army in Jinzhong has been qualitatively improved!
However, Li Yunlong also knew that actual combat was the best training.

"Battalion Commander, the Japanese blockade point is ahead."

On the Mengshou Highway, at the Japanese Bianjiazhuang stronghold, Third Battalion Commander Zuo Ye arrived here with a battalion of troops.

A reconnaissance squad leader reported to Zuo Ye.

Zuo Ye has a high school education. Although his cultural level is not as good as Zhao Gang's, he is a true intellectual during the Republic of China period when illiteracy was widespread.

He wore a pair of glasses and looked somewhat gentle, but the soldiers who knew him knew that he once killed eight enemies in a row in a hand-to-hand combat without blinking an eye. He was a very ruthless man.

Moreover, he liked to use some shady tactics in battle to catch the enemy off guard. It was said that he learned this from Li Yunlong.

Lying in a hidden position, Zuo Ye raised his telescope and looked. A kilometer ahead, the hilltops and hillsides on both sides of the road were all filled with Japanese bunkers and artillery towers. There were many circular machine gun positions built with sandbags in the strongholds. The bunkers and artillery towers also had a large number of machine gun holes. The firepower was extremely powerful. There were many Japanese and puppet troops in the stronghold. The enemy was very vigilant, as if they were under attack at any time.

"These devils and puppet troops seem a little nervous." Zuo Ye smiled coldly.

"Last time, our cavalry troops took down the Miaoling and Guanjiayu blockades in less than an hour. It would be strange if the Japanese weren't nervous." The instructor told the truth.

"There's no point in being nervous. The 39th Brigade is here today, and I have taken control of the stronghold here." Zuo Ye said in a cold tone.

"Have there been any changes to the Japanese fortifications?" Zuo Ye then asked the reconnaissance squad leader.

"Yes, the Japanese have buried some mines around here, widened the trench, added sharpened bamboos, and even strung a circle of barbed wire." The reconnaissance squad leader had been leading the soldiers to monitor the Japanese stronghold nearby and was well aware of their defenses. "The enemy strength is about two squadrons of Japanese and one company of puppet troops, for a total of about 600 people. The Japanese are all from the th Brigade."

Zuo Ye and the instructor carefully observed the terrain, and the instructor drew all the locations of the stronghold's bunkers and artillery towers on the sketch.

"Lao Zuo, I've drawn them all."

The instructor handed the sketch to Zuo Ye. Zuo Ye took it and looked at it. The locations of the enemy's firepower points were drawn very clearly, even the machine gun holes of each bunker and artillery tower were drawn out.

"The Japanese should have more bunkers." Zuo Ye narrowed his eyes.

"The Japanese are not stupid. They will not reveal the location of the bunker unless it is absolutely necessary," said the instructor.

"Let's go back and get the sand table, and work out a battle plan and emergency plan. We'll come over at night to send the Japs and puppet troops to hell." Zuo Ye said in a cold tone.

Although the machine gun company of the third battalion was also equipped with 8 20mm machine guns, each squad had a light machine gun and more than a dozen heavy machine guns.

But if the Japanese called in planes, the Third Battalion would inevitably suffer casualties and waste a lot of ammunition.

It would be fine if we could shoot down one Japanese plane, but we wouldn't lose anything if we could shoot down one more.

They were afraid that they would not be able to shoot down the Japanese planes, and that the soldiers would be bombed and strafed by the Japanese planes, resulting in casualties and a large amount of ammunition would be wasted.

So attacking at night is the best option.

First of all, the Eighth Route Army is good at close combat and night combat.

Secondly, the Eighth Route Army had flares that could provide vision for the attacking troops.

The infantry battalion of the new regiment consists of 5 companies, 3 infantry companies, 1 machine gun company and 1 logistics support company. Each infantry company has about 150 people, the machine gun company has about 120 people, and the logistics support company has about 100 people.

Infantry companies are organized into threes, with each squad consisting of about 15 people, each platoon consisting of about 50 people, and each company consisting of about 150 people.

每个步兵班的火力也是拉满，装备1挺通用机枪或1挺轻机枪、2支冲锋枪、1具巴祖卡、1支狙击步枪，其余战士装备的都是毛瑟步枪。

机炮连装备主要是机关炮和迫击炮，装备6门20毫米机关炮、4门60毫米迫击炮、4门82毫米迫击炮，1门九二式步兵炮等炮兵。

The Third Battalion had a total of 30 bazookas. For this battle, Li Yunlong temporarily transferred 10 bazooka combat teams and 6 82mm mortars from other units to Zuo Ye.

In this way, Zuo Ye had 40 bazooka combat teams and 14 mortars, which was definitely a wealthy battle.

Not counting the hidden bunkers, the Japanese built more than 30 bunkers and artillery towers in the open stronghold of Bianjiazhuang. Each bazooka combat team had enough to deal with one Japanese bunker or artillery tower.

The night is as dark as ink and the weather is slightly cool.

Zuo Ye, who had formulated a complete combat plan and emergency plan, led the soldiers of the third battalion and quietly moved to the vicinity of Bianjiazhuang.

"Battalion Commander, the Japanese 77th Regiment stationed in Yangquan is very close to here, only about 10 kilometers away. The Japanese reinforcements will arrive in about half an hour."

After all the troops had entered their designated positions, the instructor whispered:
"We must resolve the battle within half an hour!"

The distance is 10 kilometers. If the Japanese reinforcements are running, it will take at least 1 hour from the assembly point to the reinforcement position.

But if the Japanese came by car, the reinforcement time would be greatly shortened.

The 77th Regiment is the elite of the Japanese Type A Division and must be equipped with a certain number of small trucks. Its assembly time is shorter than that of other troops. It is even possible that the Japanese soldiers are sleeping with their guns, ready to reinforce at any time.

"How long did it take our cavalry to take down the Miaoling stronghold last time?" Zuo Ye asked.

"About forty to fifty minutes," the instructor replied. "At least less than an hour. The enemy has increased their defenses around the stronghold this time, making our attack much more difficult than the last time the cavalry battalion attacked the Miaoling stronghold."

"If we fight well, we can definitely end the battle within half an hour. I have prepared a secret weapon for the Japs."

The instructor asked, "What's the secret weapon?"

Zuo Ye smiled slightly: "You will know in a moment."

About two minutes later, the hands pointed to 12:, and Zuo Ye whispered to the guard beside him: "Begin."

The guard immediately opened the safety, raised the signal gun, and pulled the trigger.

"call out--"

A red flare rose slowly into the sky.

The red flare is the attack signal!
"Boom, boom, boom—"

Sporadic gunshots were heard, and the snipers of the third battalion fired at the Japanese searchlights, which shattered one by one.

"Da da da……"

"Boom boom boom..."

The battle is imminent!
Intensive gunfire and explosions tore through the night sky, and the crimson light produced by the explosions could be seen from far away.

A dense rain of bullets was fired towards the Japanese stronghold.

Under the cover of firepower, 40 bazooka rocket launcher teams moved towards the Japanese bunkers and strongholds.

but.

Before the rocket launcher team reached the effective range, the Japanese artillery position suddenly fired some flares around the stronghold.

Before the Eighth Route Army launched any flares, the area around the stronghold had been chopped bare by the Japanese. Some of the forward rocket launcher teams were spotted by the Japanese and puppet troops, and were immediately met with a dense rain of bullets.

However, the soldiers reacted quickly and found cover to hide, but two rocket launcher teams were unable to dodge and were hit by enemy machine gun bullets.

Other rocket launcher teams were also pinned down behind bunkers and were caught in a dilemma.

The Japanese were not fools. They knew that the Eighth Route Army was going to attack. Although they didn't know when, they had made sufficient preparations.

Japanese stronghold.

Inside a large Japanese artillery tower.

"Moshimoshi, this is the Bianjiazhuang stronghold, contact the Shouyang 77th Regiment immediately!"

A Japanese corporal was calling on the phone. A moment later, the corporal immediately reported: "Major, the call is connected!"

Major Tanaka turned and walked quickly to the phone. He took the receiver with a serious expression and put it to his ear: "Moshimoshi, this is the Bianjiazhuang stronghold. We are under attack by the Eighth Route Army."

The surprised voice of Lieutenant Colonel Tian, ​​the acting commander of the 77th Regiment, came from the phone: "What? How many troops did the Eighth Route Army send? How is their firepower?"

Lieutenant Colonel Nagata witnessed with his own eyes that the regiment commander Matsuo Harushige was shot in the head by the Eighth Route Army with a high-powered sniper rifle. When he heard that the Eighth Route Army was attacking the Bianjiazhuang stronghold, he was panicked, but his tone remained calm.

Li Yunlong is a man who does not play by the rules at all. After the Eighth Route Army captures the Bianjiazhuang stronghold, will they take the opportunity to attack Shouyang?
"No less than two thousand!" Major Tanaka said hurriedly, "with a large number of light and heavy machine guns, mortars, and other heavy weapons!"

Major Tanaka was not lying about military intelligence, but rather calculated the Eighth Route Army's strength based on previous experience of fighting against the Eighth Route Army.

After its formation, the 4th Independent Mixed Brigade was sent to southwestern Shanxi and fought several battles with the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army.

"So many?" Lieutenant Colonel Nagata said in a shocked tone, "It must be the main force of the New 1st Regiment. Maybe Li Yunlong is here too."

Lieutenant Colonel Tanaka heard that Lieutenant Colonel Nagata did not seem to want to reinforce, so he immediately said: "Lieutenant Colonel, please provide tactical guidance!"

His comrade-in-arms was Major Omori, who was stationed at the Miaoling stronghold. He was killed by the Eighth Route Army last month.

Even the 3rd Brigade was completely wiped out by the Eighth Route Army. If the 77th Regiment had not come to reinforce, he would have been killed without a doubt.

"Hold on for half an hour!" Lieutenant Colonel Nagata said coldly, "I'll send the 1st and 3rd Infantry Battalions to reinforce you!"

"Major, the Eighth Route Army is opening fire!"

A Japanese warrant officer exclaimed.

"Hi! Thank you, Lieutenant Colonel!"

Major Tanaka quickly hung up the phone and rushed to the observation hole to check the battle situation.

Just as Zuo Ye guessed, the Japanese soldiers of the 77th Regiment even held their guns while sleeping, ready to provide reinforcements at any time.

After receiving the order, the sleeping Japanese soldiers were awakened. The two battalions of Japanese soldiers quickly put on their clothes and jumped onto the trucks that were ready at any time and drove towards Bianjiazhuang.

However, the Japanese did not have many trucks, so only the 1st Infantry Battalion came to reinforce by car, while the 3rd Infantry Battalion could only run to reinforce.

……

After Jiro Tanaka hung up the phone.

He quickly went to the observation hole and looked at the battlefield through it.

The observation and shooting holes in the Japanese bunkers and artillery towers were built very carefully, in the shape of a trumpet, wide outside and narrow inside. They provided a good field of view for observing and shooting from the inside, but it was indeed very difficult to hit the machine gunner inside from the outside.

I saw shells rising from afar and landing near the bunkers and artillery towers outside the stronghold.

"Boom boom boom——"

Explosions exploded near the bunkers and artillery towers outside the stronghold.

There were also flares, which illuminated the outer bunkers and artillery towers as bright as day.

Hearing the explosion, Jiro Tanaka breathed a sigh of relief.

The mortar has a good rate of fire and is light and easy to move, but its armor-piercing ability is relatively weak.

What we built were not ordinary brick and stone bunkers and turrets, but reinforced concrete bunkers and turrets. These fortifications could block direct fire from 75mm mountain artillery, and even the large-caliber heavy mortars sent by the Eighth Route Army could not destroy them.

No matter how many mortar shells the Eighth Route Army fired, it was impossible to destroy the reinforced concrete bunkers and artillery towers.

As long as the firepower continues to suppress the Eighth Route Army and prevents it from approaching the stronghold, the Eighth Route Army can be repelled after the reinforcements arrive in half an hour.

Thinking of this, Tanaka Jiro's solemn expression suddenly eased a little.

But soon Jiro Tanaka discovered something was wrong.

He found that the machine gun fire in almost all the bunkers and artillery towers in the outer strongholds had been silenced.

He quickly raised his telescope and looked, and saw Japanese soldiers and puppet soldiers running out of the bunkers and artillery towers in great pain.

Then he was hit by the following artillery shell and fell in a pool of blood.

Jiro Tanaka's heart also sank to the bottom.

What? What's going on?

Then, Jiro Tanaka keenly discovered that there seemed to be a layer of pink mist around the bunkers and artillery towers in the outer strongholds.

Poison gas bombs! The Eighth Route Army actually brought poison gas bombs!

Judging from the density of the explosions, the Eighth Route Army brought about 16 mortars.

Sixteen mortars, this is the structure of two artillery squadrons!

The artillery firepower of the two artillery squadrons is already strong enough, but they actually use chemical weapons!

The Eighth Route Army is too bullying!

Because the Eighth Route Army did not have poison gas bombs, generally speaking, the Japanese second-line troops were not equipped with gas masks. Only some troops of the Type A division were equipped with them. As for the puppet army, it was even less likely that they were equipped with gas masks.

Thinking of this, Jiro Tanaka felt even colder. If this were to happen, the Bianjiazhuang stronghold group would probably be in great danger tonight.

……

After the Japanese and puppet troops in the outer strongholds were killed.

The artillery firepower of the third battalion began to extend.

The Japanese and puppet troops in the bunkers and artillery towers were blown away and fled away from the bunkers.

The Japanese firepower suddenly decreased, and the bazooka teams quickly moved forward, set up their bazookas and aimed at the Japanese bunkers and artillery towers one by one.

"Shhhhh-"

Rockets left visible orange-red trails in the night sky, heading straight for the Japanese bunkers and artillery towers!

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Accompanied by deafening explosions, in the exploding fireballs, the Japanese bunkers and artillery towers were destroyed like dry dry wood and rotten wood.

"what's the situation?"

"How did the Japanese and puppet troops escape from the bunkers and artillery towers on their own?"

The instructor of the third battalion sounded both surprised and puzzled.

Zuo Ye raised the corner of his mouth. "This is a modified artillery shell from the artillery battalion. First, remove the fuse from the mortar shell, pour out some of the explosives inside the shell, then crush the super spicy chili pepper into powder and put it in, and then install the fuse."

"After the explosion, the pungent smell of gunpowder and chili peppers rushed into the enemy bunkers and artillery towers. The enemy was intoxicated by the smell of chili peppers."

"There's even this kind of operation?" The instructor's eyes lit up. "You're really good, kid. You can even think of this method?"

"How could I have such ability?" Zuo Ye raised the corner of his mouth: "This is all the captain's idea."

"Older people are always wiser!" The instructor said with admiration, "It has to be our regiment leader."

(End of this chapter)